Keep Toby Safe
by Rosaroma
Summary: Spencer finds out about Toby. When they know you're lying, what can they believE? -A
1. Alone

She slapped him. Toby left the house before Spencer could say anything. _Spencer._ Clutching at the hoody once he was inside the truck he tore it off. Damn it. He held the Radley pass in his hand, how could she have found it? He hit the steering wheel before pulling into the road. He knew he'd gained her trust completely and, tonight he'd broken it. He swerved through the traffic stupidly. She'd been lying to him for months and it had hurt him, that had mattered until now. Now he wondered how much he should have cared when she looked at him that way. He'd been looking at her the same way for months, but she hadn't noticed. She hadn't seen her dishonesty reflecting on him.

He knew why the A team did the things they did to start with, but it was losing sense these days. Was it enough when people kept dying and he hurt Spencer?

Spencer lay against Toby's door, tears still trickling down her face. Her voice had become hoarse talking to the person on the other side. 'Toby,' she wondered if he would ever explain his motives.  
Mona smirked through the blinds as she thought about her plan, it had come together quite nicely. When Spencer lied some more, how could she resist. Spencer had such an eye for detail, Mona knew there was no way she would miss it.

Raising herself on shaky legs Spencer didn't see Toby round the corner as she stood. Pulling himself against the wall he watched her wobble down the steps. Her long legs he had become enamoured with were uneasily carrying her weight. He took a step towards her and forced himself to stop. Clenching his fist, he could hear music coming from his flat, he put the pieces together and knew Mona was up there, watching.

Spencer wandered aimlessly near the road causing Toby to tighten his grip on the wall. She pictured their meeting, the conversations, the kisses. Tears fell from her eyes anew, this was insane. How much more of this could there be. Her father lied to her, her brother was keeping things from her, and now Toby? What had he done, had he killed Maya?

Who could she trust? Remembering the girls she headed for Emilys. 'Em,' she knocked weakly on the door and waited for her friend. Emily opened the door and saw Spencer's face. 'What is it?' Emily said to Spencers gaunt face.

'Toby,' Spencer said hugging Emily and trying to stop her mind spinning. The more she thought about it, the more it hurt. The pressure in her head grew making her screw her eyes up. As the tears racked through her body, more words fell out of Spencer's mouth. 'We know who A is,' she said meeting Emily's eyes.

'Toby?' Emily said not letting herself believe it as she pulled back.

Spencer nodded, an involuntary grimace on her face. 'He lied, about everything.'

Emily pulled Spencer inside, looking around for him as she shut the door. The two of them didn't eat and when Emily asked Spencer to stay, she didn't have the strength to say no. She couldn't imagine explaining anything to her mother right now. They didn't sleep, didn't really talk either, they just lay there taking in the horrifying news.

Arriving at school late didn't matter, any excuse would do. They weren't heading in bright and early for whatever the next step on the A team ladder was.

Emily spotted Toby waiting and left Spencer as she went to her class. Coming up behind him 'I know who you are,' she hissed at him. He turned to his old friend but didn't say anything. Em, how he wished things weren't the way they were between them now. 'Stay the hell away from Spencer,' she said not losing ground. She lost her fear when people did things to her friends. She turned to leave, sick of the sight of him.

'You better not be thinking of telling Aria and Hanna. Never know what might happen next,' Toby said, pasting on his unemotional face as Em heard him. It was the line he had been fed. After Mona saw Spencers next step, she wanted to create a little more confusion in the group.

He wanted to spit the lines Mona gave him on the ground and tell the truth. Tell them what had happened between him and Alison. Why the A team had done these things to them. He knew better than to try that.

Emily considered the person she had trusted. Her eyes were glassy as she answered him. 'You said we were thick as thieves. Well, I'm telling you now, you have no idea,' Emily stalked off.

Toby watched her go, Mona shouldn't have expected Em to take this lying down. 'A' had killed her girlfriend and the girl she'd been in love with. She had all kinds of secrets, they were all murderers now, but Em wasn't a bad person. Had he become one?

Aria snapped her fingers again at Spencer. 'What's wrong with her?' she looked from Emily to Hanna. No one was offering any hints. The girls sat around their usual table, but unlike usual Spencer wasn't theorising or even talking.  
'Maybe Toby doesn't like five inch heels,' Hanna said doubtfully. She wanted to lighten the mood but received heavy glares from the other two. Emily carried on eating her lunch to try and defuse the situation.  
'Guys, I'm sure she'll tell us when she's ready,' Emily said watching Spencer out of the corner of her eye. She couldn't imagine the betrayal, she'd been friends with him. But she knew Spencer, she'd been in love.

Spencer flinched when her phone went off and the other girls looked sad for her. Everyone at that table knew the terror of texts and they wanted to take it for her, almost.

**Look at you all alone in a crowd. I win! - A  
**  
Spencer's stomach dropped further, Toby was getting sick enjoyment out of destroying something that had been so precious to her. Pressing delete she said it was a text from her mother.

Toby watched Mona texting beside him and looked up in time to see Spencer flinch. Her eyes scanned the text, but she brushed it off to her friends and stood quickly from the table. Bumping into some guy he'd seen her with maybe once she apologised but he steadied her.  
Following her out of the yard they confronted each other under the arch way. Toby didn't know what they were saying, but he wanted to know.

Coming up around the other side he listened.  
'Andrew, I can't trust anyone,' Spencer said.  
'Mona giving you trouble again?' he asked. Toby didn't like the feeling of this guy talking to Spencer in such a familiar way. There'd been guys in the past for Spencer, but this wasn't one of them. When had she started talking to him?  
Spencer considered saying Toby but spotting him behind Andrew she stopped. He didn't know she'd noticed.

'Someone hurt me and, I didn't get a chance to ask them why. I just want to be able to talk to him, face to face.'  
'If this person is someone who really cares about you, I'm sure they'll give you that chance,' Andrew said offering his sympathy. 'If not, I'd stay away.'

Toby's phone buzzed and he pulled it out to silence it.

**Out with the old, in with the new. Looks like she's done with you - A**

* * *

AN: A few clues here and there as to where this is going, and some more to come if you let me know you want it. - R


	2. Supposition

The knock came at her door. She wasn't sure if she had expected him to come. Her heart lurched uncertainly making her want to stand still and regain equilibrium. Unlocking the door she let him in but turned away, she didn't know how to face him.

Toby frowned at her back, she couldn't look at him. He could recall countless moments of her not being able to take her eyes from his. Their connection was tangible. 'Spencer, I don't have the keys to my flat,' he said.

She choked on a laugh, 'Seriously. You're here asking for your keys back?' that was all he had to say after everything? His hand reached out to her arm and shivers ran up and down her back.

'You don't understand, Spencer,' he said willing her to turn round.

Spencer pushed his hand away and turned. 'What I don't understand is summed up by what you haven't _told_ me.' Her face was tight with anger, 'Which appears to be absolutely everything. I don't even know who you are. Did I ever?' her voice rasped. Spencer didn't feel strong, she felt sick. She wanted to be away from a person who could hold her heart tenderly while hurting her so thoroughly.

'I wasn't honest with you, but you weren't completely honest with me either Spencer,' he wanted to shake her.

'There's been so much that Ali ruined, so many people she destroyed,' Toby didn't finish. She wasn't letting him back in. 'Spencer, I'm...' he couldn't apologise to her.

He stepped towards her and circled so that she looked up at him. Spencer felt fear and adrenaline course in her stomach. Leaning down as he'd done before he kissed her, put his arms around her waist to draw her closer. Spencer didn't dare respond, unsure of the implications inside her. He whispered in her ear. 'I caused you pain, I know that. But I told you once, I would never hurt you.' She could imagine the expression that usually went with his sincerity. The reflex to trust him staggered awkwardly.

Spencer felt his hand run into hers and she tried to find sense. She thought logically, what was he trying to say. That he had hurt other people?

A knock at the door caused the tension to snap. Toby crushed something in to her palm.  
'Look our vigour ended, your only use,' his eyes pierced hers and she felt like snapping. He was throwing more emotions at her than she could decipher in a year. Glaring at the front door Toby slipped out the side.

Toby edged around the house to see Andrew at the door and a baffled Spencer looking over his shoulder straight towards the trees. He could still feel her despondent lips but see her searching eyes, she was torn. He could tell. Leaning against the tree cautiously he watched the exchange and crossed his arms. He just didn't want to be the catalyst that made the break.

Andrew met her gaze uncertainly. 'I know we haven't really talked much outside of debates,' he said diplomatically, she didn't respond. 'You're having a hard time.'

Spencer concealed her previous emotions as she fumbled her hand behind her back. Hard time wasn't even the half of what she was feeling. 'Andrew, what are you doing here?'

'You didn't show up to debate today. I thought maybe the world was ending,' he said trying to catch the humerous Hastings glint in her eye.

Only flinchingly vailed anger looked back at him. He knew better than to push an enraged Hastings', he'd known Melissa from a distance.

'Maybe now wasn't a great time.' He nodded and was about to leave but said, 'You have my number, if you need anything.'  
Spencer grabbed the sleeve of his jacket.  
'I'm sorry Andrew, I'm not angry with you.' You're being nice, which is precisely what Wren had done. She'd run to him before when Toby had hurt her. But why was she looking at Andrew now? Could she get it wrong a third time? In Rosewood, it was always a possibility.

Pressing her lips together to stop the ebbing grief Spencer willed her hand to unclench. 'Good night Andrew,' she said releasing him into the quiet night.

What had Toby left for her, was it a new trick?

Andrew was quiet as he walked away. He thought he heard something in the bushes but shrugged it off. He had wanted to put his hand over hers, comfort her in whatever crisis she was dealing with. But where there was a Hastings' there was logic, and if she wanted his help she'd seek him out.

Uncrumpling the paper Spencer took a deep breath.  
_**Spencer listen to me. My only new answer doesn't include dealing in truth. x**  
_Where exactly did Toby and the truth meet these days, In back alley ways, with body bags? Tearing up the note she was about to go to bed when her mum appeared.

'Visitors?' she asked unpacking things into the cupboards.

'Yeah, Andrew stopped by,' Spencer pocketed the pieces of paper and pretended to get a drink. She hoped her mother had only witnessed the second visitor.

'Right, the debate guy. Cute,' her mother said pausing with a bag of pasta. 'Honey, if you want to get over Toby maybe, spending time with other people would help. I'm sure Andrew wouldn't mind getting a little quality time with the head captain of the debate team.' Her mother was so sure of her, in the regard of men but also that she'd made head captain. She hadn't. Damn Mona and her slippery little plots. She would so take this bitch down, and if Toby was helping her, that would just have to be collateral damage.

Trying to distract herself from her brewing anger Spencer thought of spending time with Andrew. Then she had a thought of a different kind and seeing as sleep wasn't her friend right now she decided to dwell on it.

'Thanks for the talk, Night mom,' taking her work off the bench Spencer went to think on her own plot.  
'Night honey.' Veronica hoped that Spencer would think about someone else. It didn't do well for hope in life if you became bitter.

* * *

**AN: But we all know Spencer's thoughts on hope, 'It breeds eternal misery.'  
There was no A messages in this chapter, but the plot is thickening. I need reviews.  
**


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